Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan is back in the spotlight.
After serving as chair of the FTC during President Joe Biden’s administration, Khan is now serving as co-chair of New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team.
Her appointment is already drawing attention, and criticism, from corporate power players.
Taking on Corporate Power
Khan, best known for going after tech giants and blocking big corporate mergers, is now helping shape the future of the nation’s largest city.
During her time at the FTC, she cracked down on companies she said had grown “too big to care.”
She returned over $60 million in stolen tips to Amazon drivers, blocked the Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger, and took aim at inflated drug prices.
She also helped bring down the cost of inhalers, which had been “routinely being sold for hundreds of dollars.”
In one of her most pointed moments, Khan asked:
“Are you really free if your groceries are so expensive that you can’t afford them?”
A Signal From Mamdani
Her role in Mamdani’s transition is viewed as a sign that the new mayor intends to confront deep-pocketed interests.
And many in the corporate world aren’t happy about it. According to The Guardian, some Wall Street and Big Tech insiders are calling her appointment a “shot across the bow.”
Khan’s track record makes it clear she’s no stranger to pushback. Meta and Amazon once tried to force her to recuse herself from investigations into their business practices.
Two Democratic billionaires even called for her removal during the 2024 presidential race. And comedian Jon Stewart said Apple resisted letting him interview Khan on his podcast due to her views.
Fighting for Workers and Consumers
Khan’s concerns about market concentration go beyond prices. She’s warned that when only a few companies dominate an industry, workers lose power too.
In a 2022 Treasury Department study she referenced, wages were found to be roughly 20% lower in highly concentrated markets.
She also helped push a rule banning noncompete clauses, which she said were trapping tens of millions of workers.
“Consolidation is literally a matter of life or death,” she said in a video with economist and former labor secretary Robert Reich, pointing to medicine shortages and fragile supply chains.
Next Steps in New York
Khan’s presence on Mamdani’s team suggests a local agenda that mirrors her national one: more scrutiny of powerful companies, stronger protections for workers, and serious efforts to make everyday essentials more affordable.
If her record at the FTC is any clue, New York’s incoming administration could be gearing up for bold reforms and some big fights.
With Khan now helping set the tone for Mamdani’s leadership, corporate America is paying attention.
So is everyone else.